I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices used to relieve or mitigate the problems associated with human female stress incontinence and more specifically to a removable seal for covering the urethral meatus of a human female subject.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
A good discussion of problems relating to female urinary incontinence is set forth in the "Background of the Invention" of U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,208 to Rosenbluth et al. That material is incorporated by reference herein.
The Rosenbluth et al. '208 patent describes a urethral meatus occlusion device for managing urinary incontinence in a human female that includes a resilient pad shaped to fit between the labia minora and the floor of the vestibule of the vulva to occlude the urethral meatus. The device is held in place by an adhesive to provide a sealing engagement with the urethral meatus. The pad comprises a highly absorbent, hydrophilic material having a longitudinal ridge with a posterior edge to allow gripping during installation and removal. In accordance with another disclosed embodiment, the pad comprises a flexible sack filled with a liquid or gel that will conform to the female genitalia so as to again occlude the urethral meatus.
The current invention is an improvement over Rosenbluth et al. '208 in that the current invention employs both a minor vacuum from the dome and an adhesive boarder to provide secure attachment of the device to the vestibule floor of the female vulva. Lesser adhesive surface used results in a lesser area of occluded skin surfaces. This permits the vestibule floor skin to breathe better and lessen the possibility of skin ulceration. Furthermore, the current invention offers another improvement over the device described in the Rosenbluth patent in that the urethral meatus will not be occluded by the physical contact of adhesives as in Rosenbluth. This minimizes the possibility of infection by migration of foreign substances directly into the metal opening, as well as physical irritation to the meatus. The minor suction provided by my invention also helps to seal the metal opening and further aid in the continence of the patient and the minimization of upward migration of foreign materials.